Panthers warm up to showdown with 49ers

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, December 3, 1996

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Six days before the biggest game in the brief history of their franchise, the Carolina Panthers were the picture of calm Monday.

"It's like a slow-burning fire right now," tight end Wesley Walls said as Carolina set its sights on Sunday's contest at the 'Stick. "Here it is Monday, and you don't want to get too hyped up. You just want to keep your mind sharp."

A 24-0 victory over Tampa Bay means the Panthers (9-4) will take a four-game winning streak into their showdown with the NFC West-leading 49ers, who are 10-3 after Monday night's destruction of the Atlanta Falcons.

A victory by the Panthers on Sunday would be their second over the 49ers this year and would put Carolina in first place in the division with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

Even if the Panthers lose, they'll still be in the hunt to secure a playoff berth, something that's never been done by a second-year NFL expansion franchise.

"The first thing we said as we went off the field after beating Tampa Bay was, "Let's get ready for the 49ers,' " Walls said. "This is where we wanted to be. We wanted this game to be this important, so we're not going to do anything differently. We're going to go out there like we've been doing the last few weeks, prepare well for them and know our assignments so we can go out on Sunday and execute them."

Carolina has played the 49ers three times and defeated them twice, including a 23-7 victory in late September at Charlotte. In that game, backup quarterback Steve Beuerlein replaced the injured Kerry Collins and riddled what was then the NFL's top-rated defense for 290 passing yards and two touchdowns.

"Maybe we were fortunate just to catch them at the right time," said coach Dom Capers, who has told the Panthers to expect a much more difficult game this time.

"For us to beat the 49ers," Capers said, "we'll have to play our best game in every area."

Part of Capers' concern stems from the fact that while the 49ers are a perennial contender, the Panthers have only existed for 19 games.